I was asked today about: Walmart, Target and Best Buy offering a telephone service with unlimited data - Do I recommend for Marine / Whole Boat Use?

I was asked today about: Walmart, Target and Best Buy offering a telephone service with unlimited data - Do I recommend for Marine / Whole Boat Use? (as opposed to single user hand phone use.)

* At this point in time this is NOT a recommended service for marine / yachting … here’s why:

What I’m seeing so far is pre-paid wireless … $30 a month has 30 Mb of mobile web. $45 plan has unlimited …

Not sure if this is Fast Internet. Indicators seem to say that you wouldn’t be expected to use much data on the

little phones provided. Straight Talk is a Tracphone company “Service”. I’m resorting to THIS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless

to try and get past myth and get into reality about it.

“Straight Talk is a Mobile Virtual Network operator (MVNO) that uses Verizon’s CDMA 1xRTT wireless network, which was introduced in 2001 and is said to deliver between 40 and 60 kb/s to customers.”

Sim Cards, even if the one they sell you is GSM and has a Sim Card, are locked to the Phone and cannot be used in another GSM device.

http://gizmodo.com/5381437/walmart-offering-45-unlimited-cellphone-plan-nationwide

Walmart To Launch Straight Talk Exclusively, Nationwide…

———————————————————————–

I called Tracphone, the providers of Straight Talk plans and phones. They cannot tell how fast it is. Older phones they offered were CDMA based (which means Verizon) but 2 new phones are GSM … they don’t even seem to understand the word 3G. The person I am talking to is in South America - although the home office is in Miami, Florida.

No doubt … as I said before … the sim card would be crippled not to work in another GSM / 3G device.

Maybe the stock of Walmart or Tracphone might have forward looking statements ;-) regarding this. I would not recommend the product/service for Marine Use. Personal use perhaps … but pretty much for Voice Calling and limited mobile web use.

It’s definitely a “Big Box Store” strategy … probably very good for the store, and for Tracphone. Maybe good for individual hand phone users wanting to save $$$ on their cellular bills. No idea how the cellular service is. You’d want to make sure that

any International use was covered under the plans quoted. Remember this is Pre-Paid cellular.

If it goes over BIG like some seem to expect it will … could there be capacity problems? Well it’s GSM not 3G. Maybe they can stretch it across multiple “Actual Cellular Carriers”. After all Tracphone is a Virtual Mobile Network Provider. (Read: A Reseller of Air Time.)

—
Alan Spicer

DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)

* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *

* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426

Mobile Internet! Step up to the HSPA 3G Fast Internet!

Ericsson W35 released in the USA. This you’ve gotta SEE!!
Better looking presentation than W25 (you might not want to
hide this one in the Doghouse!) + High Speed Upload which
the W25 did not have.
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/

This entry was posted on 20. August 2010 at 01:20 and is filed under Cellular Voice and Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.